Fukugawa Fudo-san Temple (Narita-san)

FudoFireCeremony2

If you’d like to see a fire ceremony, make a wish at the dragon fountain, and say a prayer in the hall of the glow-in-the-dark saints, this is the temple for you!

Fire Ceremonies are held in the traditional temple building to the right; the hall of 10,000 fudo figures is in the modern building to the left. The characters on the outside are Sanskrit, and they spell out the Fudo Sutra. — Fire ceremonies are held in the traditional temple building to the right; the hall of 10,000 Fudo figures is in the modern building to the left.

If you think Buddhist ceremonies are all about serenity and Zen, it's time to meet the wild and wooly fire-breathing, taiko drumming version! — If you think Buddhist ceremonies are all about serenity and Zen, it’s time to meet the holy roller taiko drumming version!

Patrons pay to have the priest send their prayers to Fudo-san by tossing them on the bonfire in front of the altar.

Fire ceremonies are held five times daily (at 9:00, 11:00, 13:00, 15:00 and 17:00). Let’s take off our shoes (we can carry them in one of the plastic bags provided), then sneak into the side gallery and watch from the back, where we can look down on the altar area. The ceremony takes 30-60 minutes, and is filled with taiko drumming, chanting, the blowing of conch shells and the tossing of wooden prayer sticks into a bonfire that blazes up quite spectacularly in front of the altar.

Usually there are a group of dignitaries who have paid handsomely to sit in the middle seats and get special benefits from the service, but if we're lucky, eventually we'll see ordinary people around us getting in line to get their purses and wallets waved through the smoke from the flames. Let's join them, and get ourselves some good luck! — Usually there is a group of dignitaries who have paid handsomely to sit in the middle seats and get special benefits from the service, but if we’re lucky, eventually we’ll see ordinary people around us getting in line to get their purses and wallets waved through the smoke from the flames. Let’s join them, and get ourselves some good luck.

Note: It’s strictly forbidden to take photos and videos during the ceremonies, because they are actual religious services. I know it’s tempting, but please don’t be That Tourist. (The photos I’ve included here are icky and fuzzy because I got them from the temple’s website.)

Afterwards, let’s go into the big modern cube next door, the one with the Fudo sutra written all over the outside in giant Sanskrit characters.